


Heart Flip

by IceIceSkaters



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: AU? Sort of, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dating on a dare, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 16:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30109014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceIceSkaters/pseuds/IceIceSkaters
Summary: Langa is dared to ask Reki out
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 7
Kudos: 169





	Heart Flip

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm always up for chatting on tumblr!! (thotticus---prime)  
> it wont let me italicize no matter how hard i try

It had started as a dare. 

“What do you mean you’re not going to S tonight?” Langa asked with a frown, parked in front of Reki’s house as the sun set behind him. “You never miss S”

“I know, but my sister’s sick and mom’s off getting medicine for her so I promised I’d help out. You can handle S without me for one night, can’t you?” he teased with a wink. 

Reki was right. He could handle a night without Reki there by his side. After all, he didn’t have any beefs to race, and Miya and Shadow were also planning on attending. Yeah, he’d be totally fine on his own.

He was not fine on his own. Langa had underestimated just how _boring _it would be without Reki there shouting and explaining the tricks to him. Without Reki there it was like he couldn’t concentrate on the races no matter how interesting or nerve wracking they were. Instead he settled on trailing with his small group of unconventional friends.__

__None of them had beefs to go through with that night, and Langa was contemplating just driving home when Miya nudged him with his tiny little elbow. “Yo, why are you moping so badly?”_ _

__“I’m not moping,” Langa replied in his usual calm tone of voice._ _

__“Yes you are,” Miya insisted, “Is it because Reki isn’t here?”_ _

__At the question Langa sputtered and felt his face flush. Miya smirked in victory then hummed in curiosity. “So, why isn’t your boyfriend with you tonight? He never misses S,” he pointed out as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms._ _

__“Reki isn’t my boyfriend,” Langa replied with a confused expression. He and Reki were just friends. Best friends._ _

__The answer he gave prompted Miya to laugh, drawing attention from Shadow, Joe, and Cherry. “Oh come on! You guys are so obviously in love it’s ridiculous. You don’t have to hide it, slime.”_ _

__“But we’re not dating.”_ _

__“You’re joking, right?”_ _

__“No, why would I?”_ _

__Cherry held Miya back from making another snarky comment by holding up his hand then turning toward Langa. “You guys really aren’t dating?” When he received a shake of Langa’s head he hummed then shrugged. “Could’ve had us fooled.”_ _

__“Yeah, we totally all thought you and Reki were in a relationship. What with the cheering each other on and staring lovingly into his eyes,” Joe commented, coming up beside Cherry._ _

__“You guys are so syrupy sweet it disgusts me,” Shadow pointed out as he pretended to slice his throat._ _

__“But, Reki and I aren’t like that,” Langa said with a frown marring his face._ _

__“You gotta be kidding me. Langa, I bet if you asked Reki out he’d say yes in an instant,” Miya insisted, arms crossed in an unspoken challenge._ _

__“He wouldn’t. Reki doesn’t think of me in that way.” ‘I don’t even know if _I _think of him in that way,’ Langa thought.___ _

____“Fine, then I challenge you to a beef,” Miya announced loudly enough for the people near them to hear. Soon enough talk about Langa and Miya’s beef had made its way throughout the whole crowd at S. “If I win, I dare you to ask out Reki. If you win I’ll be your cat or something.”_ _ _ _

____At that point Langa didn’t have much choice but to go through with it. No one was even paying attention to the beef that was going on, instead they were buzzing about the race that would take place the next night. It would be fine. Even if he lost the beef there was no way Reki thought of him in _that _way.___ _ _ _

______“So, Langa. Anything interesting happen last night?” Reki asked around the edge of his water bottle._ _ _ _ _ _

______Langa shrugged as he bit into his sandwich and contemplated whether or not to tell Reki about the bet that came with Miya’s beef. Then again, that would completely defeat the purpose of the beef. “Miya challenged me to a beef for tonight. You coming?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Obviously. The kid’s been so snarky lately. Having you beat him should get him to shut his mouth for a night at least,” Reiki said with a bright laugh._ _ _ _ _ _

______Langa merely smiled in return then returned to his lunch, not really caring about the outcome of the beef either way._ _ _ _ _ _

______That night Langa found himself toe to toe with Miya at the starting line waiting for the light to turn green. As soon as it did he and Miya were off and down the track, neck in neck. Miya had ended up winning just barely, and only because Langa’s board had gotten snagged on a piece of rubble in the factory. Miya turned his little smirk to the blue haired boy as Reki ran over with cheers of praise._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Langa that was awesome! The way you got through that second turn was so cool, you gotta teach me!” Reiki insisted as he patted Langa’s back a little too aggressively. Miya’s shit eating grin was enough for Langa to grab Reki’s arm to lead him away from the group. Well, at least to a more secluded area. If he was going to go through with this dare then he didn’t need a thirteen year old to be staring him down as he did it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Reki...would you, uh. I mean are you- no that’s not it.” As Langa stumbled over his words Reki’s expression turned confused._ _ _ _ _ _

______“C’mon dude, just say what you need to say.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______This was not the way he had wanted to ask his friend out. Well, he hadn’t even considered it before Miya’s beef. What he and Reki had was good. It was comfortable. It didn’t _need _to change. Not that Langa had wanted it to change in the first place.___ _ _ _ _ _

________Why was he so reluctant to let things change?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He didn’t want to screw up his relationship with his best friend. They did everything together: ate lunch, worked, went to and from school, skated. It was becoming more rare to see them apart than together. He didn’t want to destroy what they had for the sake of a dare. Yet, he was a little curious. If Miya, Joe, Cherry, _and _Shadow were all convinced that they were in love then what was he not seeing? Did Reki really feel that way about him?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________If he didn’t feel that way would Langa ruin everything they had?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Langa felt like his heart was doing flips as he tried to muster the courage to get those words out. It was just a few words, could barely be considered a sentence really. One proposition that could bring his world crashing down around him. It was so similar to the thrill he felt while skating, or maybe it was just the thrill of being with Reki._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Will you go out with me? In a romantic way I mean,” he clarified as he kicked at a pebble he was staring down. If he was right then Reki would laugh it off and everything would remain the same. When he didn’t get an answer right away he looked up again only to be caught off guard at the fact that Reki, his best friend, was turning as red as his hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I didn’t...I didn’t think you swung that way too,” Reki finally managed to get out. Langa had never seen Reki this quiet before. He was always bright and loud. This Reki was a blushing mess as he stuttered over his words. “But, I mean, yeah I’d love to go out with you. I’ve kinda had a crush on you for weeks,” he admitted as he rubbed the nape of his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Langa was at a loss for words, all thoughts leaving his brain as Reki took a step forward to press a tentative kiss on his cheek. “O-Oh. I mean great!” Langa stuttered as he pressed a hand to his cheek. He hadn’t expected Reki to say yes, and he didn’t have the heart to mention Miya’s dare, not with Reki looking so happy. He’d tell him tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow, and then they’d have a nice laugh about it and go back to their normal routine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________That night he drove Reki home like usual, except this time he was gifted another kiss on the cheek once he dropped Reki off. Was he supposed to call him his boyfriend? Somehow that didn’t feel as wrong as he thought it would. He gave the red head a kiss in return then smiled slightly as he watched a smile as bright as the sun cover Reki’s face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll see you at school tomorrow!” Reki whisper yelled from his doorway before waving and closing the door after himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Langa took a second to comprehend all that had happened that night, just stalling in front of Reki’s house before heading back home. That night he found it hard to sleep. Not because he had any regrets. No, it was because he had a surprising lack of regret to what happened between him and Reki. The more he thought about it, the more he thought that dating his best friend really wouldn’t be all that bad. After all, Reiki was cute and supportive. Langa had never been seeking a relationship, but now that he was in one (albeit a questionable start), he realized that this was good. It was comfortable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Langa!” Reiki cheered as his board rolled to a stop next to his boyfriend. Instead of the normal high five he leaned in to peck Langa on the lips. Langa was quickly learning that his boyfriend was very very interested in displays of affection and found no problem with showering Langa with kisses and hugging him at any chance he could._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was nice. Langa had never been a touchy person with anyone but his dad. This was something different though. It was warm and it felt right. When Reki’s hand was in his it felt like that was how things were supposed to be. Reki shone as bright as the sun, and everytime Langa looked at him it was easy to lose himself in the brilliant light that his boyfriend cast on his world._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Reki!” Langa smiled widely after receiving his morning kiss then returned it in the form of a kiss on the cheek. The two skated to school, just barely getting there in time before the bell rang._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Every day they had the same routine. Meet each other to skate to school, exchange kisses, then after school go to work and then S. It was a simple routine, and not much different from their routine from before they were dating, but the slight changes was enough to make Langa’s heart feel fuller than he had known was possible.  
* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We should go to the beach again,” Reki suggested as he restocked the shelves at Dope Sketch. Langa looked up from the register then shrugged slightly and went back to looking down at his Japanese textbook._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We don’t have a lot of time off soon though,” he pointed out as he turned a page. The red head sighed as he leaned over the counter and pouted up at his boyfriend._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Babe, c’mon. This time we won’t have Miya and Shadow with us, and Joe and Cherry won’t be there flirting with everyone and fighting. It’ll be fun,” he insisted with an eager smile. “We could just go for the day next weekend.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Well, that was a good point. They hadn’t exactly gone on any official dates yet, just doing what they had always done. Maybe this would be a good way to move their relationship forward. Despite Miya’s comments and constant texts Langa was able to keep Reki from knowing about the dare, and was even trying to be a good boyfriend for Reki. His earlier thoughts of breaking up disappeared a mere day into their new relationship. Whenever he looked into Reki’s eyes he felt his heart melt at the unbridled love he found in them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Reki loved him deeply, and Langa would never want to betray that love. He wanted to bask in it, the warmth that was Reki’s overflowing emotions that he poured into their relationship. It had started out rocky. Langa wasn’t sure how to act around his friend, and Reki was his normal over excited self. Eventually they had found a good balance that made their relationship come to a sweet point where they were comfortable in every way with each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Langa didn’t shy away from Reki’s touches, and Reki had found out Langa’s unspoken boundaries as time continued on. It was an ideal relationship, but Langa couldn’t help the guilt that he felt pooling in his stomach. Every time he went to tell Reki he found himself stopping. There was no reason to tell him after all. Their relationship was exactly what they wanted. They were both into each other. So what was the harm in keeping one tiny little secret?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Then let’s go to the beach this weekend. We need someone to drive us though,” he pointed out as he turned another page in his book._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You don’t mean...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I do. I do mean.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________That weekend they found themselves in the car with Shadow and Miya._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why is Miya here?” Reki asked from the backseat, still upset that their date would be crashed before it even began._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m just tagging along. Don’t worry I won’t get in the way of your couple lovey dovey act. Shadow and I are planning on staying far away from you two.” At the news Reki seemed to perk up more and sit back in his seat contentedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well good because I wanted to cuddle with my boyfriend on the beach. Just me and him in each other’s arms, kissing, hugging, spooning.” He was really laying it on thick, and his attempt to rile up Miya worked as the middle schooler shoved his game into his bag to turn around and shout at the red head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________When they finally got to the beach Reki was suffering a few scratches from Miya, but he was grinning as the kid grabbed his bag and trudged off further down the beach with Shadow yelling after him to wait._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well old man, Langa and I are going to set up over there. We’re staying all day right?” Reki asked as he grabbed his bag and slid his sunglasses on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah yeah. Just make sure to use sunscreen and don’t cause problems for other people,” Shadow grumbled as he packed what he needed then locked the car so that he could chase after Miya._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Reki turned his blinding smile to Langa then laughed. “You better not get a heat stroke this time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’ll help me if I do,” Langa replied confidently as he took Reki’s bag for him and allowed himself to be pulled to the spot Reki had claimed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He laid out the towels as Reki set up the umbrella with the insistence that Langa would want a spot away from the sun. He couldn’t exactly argue considering that his skin was so pale. As he lathered on sunscreen he watched his boyfriend tug his shirt off. Last time he had had to worry about Reki’s wrist injury, but this time he wasn’t suffering from any sprain or break. Langa’s brain felt like it stopped working as he processed what he was looking at._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Reki was so cute in his swim trunks, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he was so toned. “You look good,” he commented as he shook himself from his trance and went back to rubbing the sunscreen into his skin. Once he was done he tossed the tube to the redhead who caught it with a grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You think I look good? Am I hot? Too hot to handle?” He teased as he deposited some sunscreen into his hands to help Langa get the back of his arms and legs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Langa rolled his eyes with a fond little smile and a slight blush on his cheeks as he hummed in agreement. “Well, you’re not too bad yourself,” Reki commented as he finished then handed the tube back to Langa. “Help me out?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________His mouth suddenly felt dry. Very dry. Like he had a mouthful of sand. Why did he feel the sudden urge to cover that skin in kisses instead of sunscreen? He knew Reki didn’t mean anything by it. His tone wasn’t flirty at all, but Langa felt the inexplicable need to kiss him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________As he rubbed the sunscreen in he mulled over his thoughts about kissing his best friend. No, scratch that, his boy friend. Well, in that case everything would be fine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Once Reki was thoroughly protected from the sun Langa leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the nape of his neck. The redhead quickly whipped his head around with a shocked expression.  
“Was that okay?” Langa asked as his expression turned worried. Had he messed up? He thought it would be fine considering the pecks they gave each other every day. Was it too intimate?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah...Yeah. It’s just that you’ve never kissed me first before,” Reki replied slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Oh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Looking back his kisses were always in response to the ones Reki had given first. In their few weeks of dating he had never engaged something before. “Oh,” he stated dumbly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Y’know I wouldn’t mind if you did it again,” Reki admitted with flushed cheeks. _Oh _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Langa leaned in fairly slowly to give Reki enough time to process what was going on, and when their lips locked he didn’t find himself pulling away after a second like he normally did. Their kiss deepened, and he found that he didn’t want to pull away anytime soon. He felt Reki shift to be in his lap, arms suddenly around his neck and pulling him closer to deepen the kiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Was this what love felt like? Pure, unbridled love._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Suddenly he wasn’t too worried about sunscreen anymore. The only thing that got them to separate was hearing Miya shout from down the shoreline. Reki pulled away and rolled his eyes and he shot a murderous look to the middle schooler. Langa had his arms loosely wrapped around Reki’s waist as he looked over at Miya who was sticking his tongue out toward them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Hearing Reki’s chuckle prompted him to look back at his boy friend who was climbing out of his lap, but not before pressing a kiss to his forehead. “C’mon. Don’t want to scar the kid anymore than we already have,” he commented as he held his hand out to help Langa to his feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________How could Reki be so casual after a makeout session like that? Langa felt like his face was on fire as he accepted the hand and stood up. “Right.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Despite what Reki had said in the car, they ended up spending a lot of time with Shadow and Miya. They played beach volleyball, Shadow and Miya only winning because the old man cheated and brought mirrors to the beach that he used to blind Langa while he was setting up for a serve._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I call foul old man!” Reki yelled as he rushed under the net to grab Shadow’s mirrors._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“We never set any rules. It was legal!” Shadow argued as he held them high out of Reki’s reach._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Their day at the beach felt like it lasted barely a moment, but their relationship had moved forward even though it was just a short distance.  
* * *  
“Langa! Happy one month anniversary!” Reki cheered as he skated up to him then pecked his lips, box of chocolates in hand. He eagerly handed them over to his boyfriend with his usual blinding smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Thank you, but I didn’t get you anything,” Langa responded with a slightly troubled expression. He hadn’t known that couples actually celebrated one month anniversaries. He had always just thought it was something done in movies. Besides, none of his friends in Canada had done that when they got in relationships. Granted those relationships didn’t exactly last long either. Was this Reki’s way of saying he wanted their relationship to last long?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Don’t worry about it. Not all couples here celebrate the first month. It’s just something I do when I’m in a relationship.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh.” Wait. Reki had done this before?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Suddenly Langa’s head was full of thoughts about Reki with someone else. Were they pretty? Did they like skating too? He felt a hot, burning pool of jealousy gather in his stomach as his grip on the chocolates tightened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Of course it made sense that people would have asked Reki out before. It made sense that he had _dated _before Langa. Why wouldn’t he? He was bright and warm.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“...anga. Langa!” Reki’s shout had startled Langa out of his thoughts as he looked at his boyfriend. “You okay? Should I not have done that?” he asked with a worried expression._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“No! No, I love them. I just feel bad that I didn’t get you anything,” he smoothly lied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, well that’s fine babe. One year anniversaries are much more important.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________One year anniversaries. Reki really wanted to be with him that long? The jealousy that was building up had simmered down and in place a warmth had filled him. Reki really was an amazing boyfriend. “I’ll make it up to you then,” he said with a nod to which Reki grinned and motioned for him to hurry up and start making his way to school.  
* * *  
“Who even is that redhead with Snow”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I don’t know. He just hangs out with him”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Why would Snow even hang out with him? Didn’t he lose against Shadow?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Yeah he did, but even Cherry Blossom and Joe hang out with them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What?! What’s that kid doing with them?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Probably a charity case.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The talk of Reki had gone completely unnoticed by everyone in their group. Well, everyone except Reki. Everyone else in the group had won most of their beefs. All Reki had done was lose recently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Adam had made more and more new comers attend S, eager to see the legend that had started the race. No one knew Reki anymore, not as anything but the one that isn’t Snow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I heard he actually raced against Adam.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“For real? Did he really think he could win?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Honestly. Anyone else in that group would’ve actually had a chance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________No one else in their group would’ve ended up in the hospital like he had. They would’ve been able to turn it around like Langa had in his beef with Adam. What were they even doing hanging out with him?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Hey, I’m going to go grab a drink,” Reki announced before going over to the vending machines. He needed something to distract himself from the whispers he could hear about him and his friends. As he heard more and more of those comments he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they were right._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________In the beginning of their relationship Langa hadn’t exactly been all too eager to show any PDA. Reki had just assumed that he wasn’t into that sort of thing, but maybe Langa didn’t actually want to be together with him like that at all. Maybe he didn’t want to be together with him, period._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He let his arms fall to his sides as he considered their relationship up to the present. Langa had just recently gotten comfortable initiating contact between them. Before that Reki had been forcing it. Was that not good? Langa had asked him out, but what if he was having regrets?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________With a sigh he made his way back over to his friends, forcing his usual smile. “Hey where’s Langa?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“On the half pipe over there,” Miya replied, not looking up from his game._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, why didn’t you go over too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“And skate with him? No way he’s dominating that thing. I’d rather watch from here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Reki hummed before sipping his soda and watching his boyfriend drop down again. He really was amazing at skating. He was amazing at everything, but where did that leave Reki?  
He had taught Langa how to skate, so how is it that Langa was already better than him? They practiced together every day, and they learned all the same tricks. What did Langa have that he didn’t? Maybe it was just a difference in talent. Reki may have been able to create a deck from scratch, but he couldn’t create talent no matter how hard he tried. He’d always be left in the dust._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________When Langa came back over to them with a sweaty forehead and a wide smile Reki couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face too. Well, as long as Langa was happy, he’d be happy to support him.  
* * *  
“Hey Reki?” Langa asked as he finished his popsicle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Do you wanna meet my mom? She’s been asking about you lately and wanted me to ask you to dinner this Friday.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________That was an easy conversation. It was like they were discussing the weather. This was a little harder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I can’t believe Langa got a boyfriend, and you didn’t even tell me until last week,” Mrs. Hasegawa complained as she set the plates on the table. Langa groaned as he helped her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Mom I just forgot to tell you we made it official.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’d think that you’d tell me what with how much you talk about him. I swear he goes on and on about you and skating at dinner every night.” She directed this comment toward Reki who merely smiled politely and eyed Langa who looked like he wanted to die right then and there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well you didn’t have to tell him that!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s okay I think it’s cute,” Reki said with a mischievous grin. Langa’s face turned red as he took his seat and dug into his food wordlessly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The dinner went well. Reki was given Mrs. Hasegawa’s seal of approval even though Langa had insisted that he already had it before he even walked through the door. Everything was going perfectly, but why did this feel like the calm before a storm?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Langa drove Reki home and gave him the usual farewell kiss, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of something bad. It felt like a heavy weight was on his shoulders, and he just couldn’t shake it off.  
* * *  
“Langa...we’re not a good match anymore.” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________What? ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“R-Reki what do you mean we’re not a good match?” Langa felt his heart drop to his feet. Had Reki learned about the dare? Was he mad at Langa? _Why _was he upset?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I can’t keep up,” Reki said simply as if he was stating a fact. “You, Miya, Cherry, Joe, even Shadow. I can’t keep up with any of you.” The redhead had an expression of helplessness on his face as he spoke. “You’re so much better at skating than I am. You should hear what everyone else has to say about me. They’re all wondering why you’d hang out with a nobody like me,” he said with a humorless laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Reki...I’m with you because I want to be with you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“But I’m just holding you back! You could go pro with Miya. You could beat Adam! You’re amazing and I’m...not. I’m support.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What does that mean?” Langa asked with a confused expression. Did Reki really not see how all of their friends saw him? Miya looked up to him despite what the middle schooler said out loud. Cherry and Joe were impressed with the boards he made and how he taught Langa. Even Shadow had to admit that he liked Reki. So, why was Reki feeling like this?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“It means that we should break up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Langa felt like his world was shattering right in front of him. His heart did an uneasy flip as he reached out to gently take Reki’s hand in his._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Reki... _Reki _, sweetheart, I would never break up with you over something like that. You taught me to skate. You made my board. You’re _amazing _,” he insisted quietly as he pulled Reki closer to him until the redhead was against his chest seeming smaller than Langa had ever seen him._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________How could he not have noticed how the bright light in Reki had dimmed down until he couldn’t even find it anymore? Why hadn’t he noticed sooner?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“You’re the most important person in the world to me. I don’t care what other people say about you or us. They don’t get to have an opinion on something they don’t know anything about. They don’t know how much I admire you, how much I look up to you. They don’t know how much I _love _you, Reki.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You love me?” Reki asked as if he didn’t quite believe Langa’s words despite him pouring his heart out to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I do,” Langa insisted as he held Reki tight against his chest. He couldn’t imagine Reki ever doubting him about it before, but seeing the way he was curled up against his chest made him wonder why he hadn’t said it sooner._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I love you too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Langa felt his heart stop as he looked down at Reki with surprise painted on his face, almost like he hadn’t heard what he said. His surprised expression faded away as he smiled warmly and settled his head on top of his boyfriend’s._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________They stayed in that position for what felt like hours, but they were forced to part when they felt the beginnings of a storm rolling in. “Come on, let’s head in,” Langa suggested as he loosened his hold then hooked an arm around Reki’s waist as they walked inside.  
* * *  
“Are you really going to skate a beef against Shadow again?” Langa asked as he hovered around Reki who was busy tinkering with his board again. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I mean, why not? We’re friends, and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t let me break my leg or anything this time,” Reki explained as he shot a smile at his boyfriend. He held up the board then spun the wheels and started to explain how he had fixed it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Langa barely heard a word Reki said as he admired his boyfriend. He was just so animated and back to shining as bright as the sun. Of course he still had his days, but he was getting better at letting Langa know so that he could be right by his side during it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Doesn’t that sound cool?” Reki’s question stopped Langa’s daydreaming as he looked over at him. “You didn’t hear a word I said did you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No I did, I did.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Then what did I say?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Wheels...deck…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Langa, half way through I started naming off every ramen topping I could.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Oh.”  
* * *  
Reki could feel the adrenaline rushing through his body as he waited for the light to turn green. “You better not go easy on me old man!” he shouted at Shadow who seemed appalled at the idea that he’d ever go easy on anyone. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Shadow didn’t have time to respond because the light had turned green and suddenly they were off and shooting down the track. Reki had pulled ahead almost immediately to the surprise of a lot of the newer spectators._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________They had all seen him as a novice, someone who barely knew how to skate. Seeing him pull out in front of Shadow and pull off a rail slide like that made them all shut their mouths. Why hadn’t he been in more beefs?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Reki had won by a narrow margin, but he had still won and Langa was right there at the finish line to scoop him up in his arms to give him a celebratory kiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You did amazing Reki!” Langa’s eyes were shining as he looked up at his boyfriend in admiration. It was the first beef Reki had won in a while, and he was excited to be there to watch him win._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Thanks Langa! It’s because you taught me how to tighten my turns better though,” Reki said around a laugh as he wrapped his arms around Langa’s neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah yeah enough of that lovebirds. What’s my penalty then?” Shadow asked as he came to a stop next to them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Buy us burgers,” Reki demanded with a grin from his spot in Langa’s arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Alright alright, just get in the car.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I’m coming too!” Miya announced as he came up next to Shadow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Shadow grumbled but didn’t complain as he made his way to his little pink car and unlocked it for the teens to pile in. “Hey! Adults! You coming too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Cherry and Joe looked over then looked to each other before shrugging._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“We might as well. It’s not like we have any beefs to race tonight,” Cherry pointed out as he grabbed his keys to his bike, Joe following his lead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Soon enough the whole group was at the only fast food place open so late at night. Langa had a tower of burgers in front of him as per usual, and everyone else was left wondering just how he could eat that much without feeling sick._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick. Don’t drink my milkshake,” Reki commanded as he climbed over Langa’s lap to escape the booth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I won’t,” Langa grumbled with a little pout as he bit into his third burger._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________As soon as Reki was behind the closed door Miya turned to look at Langa with a coy grin. “I’m surprised Reki took the dare so well.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What do you mean?” Langa asked with furrowed brows as he set the wrapper down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What do _you _mean? The dare, the whole reason you’re together. Didn’t you tell him?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“No, why would I?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Langa, you should’ve told Reki by now. What were you going to do, hide it forever?” Joe asked as he set his cup down and looked at the blue haired boy with furrowed brows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Why would I even tell him in the first place? Our relationship is going well anyways, so there’s really no reason to tell him about it,” Langa explained with a nonchalant shrug as he went back to eating his food._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________The sudden tension in the room felt suffocating to the others, but Langa barely felt it. He and Reki were in a good spot. They trusted each other. They loved each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________There was no reason to bring up something so stupid._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________A few moments passed before Cherry set his cup down. “I have to agree with Kojiro, Langa. You should tell Reki sooner rather than later,” he insisted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Yeah! I mean, the whole reason you guys are even dating is because I dared you to ask him out in the first place,” Miya argued as he leaned over the table, trying to intimidate Langa into agreeing to tell Reki._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Langa had gone to respond when he saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye. No. He wasn’t supposed to find out like this. He wasn’t supposed to find out at all!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Reki!” Langa stood up in a hurry, everyone else turning to look at the redhead who had a stricken expression on his face before it turned to his normally blindingly bright smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Reki had tears streaming down his face as he forced a smile for the group. “I-I need to get home. My mom texted me,” he said as a flimsy excuse to get out of there. Before any of them could react he was already out the door and skating down the street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________The group stood there in shock, no one moving for a minute before Langa suddenly launched himself at Miya. “He didn’t need to know! Why did you tell him?!” He shouted in Miya’s face as he held him by the collar._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I didn’t- I didn’t mean for him to hear me!” Miya yelled right back as he clawed at Langa’s hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Langa let go of him! We need to fix this,” Cherry said calmly as Joe and Shadow separated them. Langa relented but kept on shooting his glare at Miya._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“How can I fix this? You saw how he looked at me, and you know that he already feels like he can’t keep up with us. What if he hates me now?” Langa had started out shouting, but as he continued talking it died down until they could barely hear him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“He doesn’t hate you Langa, but if you don’t explain yourself to him then he just might. For tonight give him some space, but when you see him again tell him how you feel. Honestly. Don’t try to skirt around it,” Joe suggested with a sigh. They all felt guilty. After all, they all knew about the dare._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Langa let out a deep breath then stood and nodded. “Fine, but you are on thin ice,” he announced with a glare directed to Miya. This wasn’t good at all. He knew what Reki was like. He knew that he was probably blaming himself for something that was entirely Langa’s fault. He just wasn’t sure how he had felt until Miya had dared him. He _loved _Reki, but how could he convince Reki of that? Joe was right, he needed to at least give him a night before trying to mend things. He could give Reki that.  
* * *___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Morning came and went. He was late to school because he was waiting for Reki to join him at their normal meet up spot, even getting there early so that he had enough time to tell him how he felt and explain himself. Except, Reki hadn’t shown up. Langa sat in his seat silently, looking over at the empty desk next to him. In all the time he knew Reki he had never skipped school. Had he really hurt him that badly?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________The next place he tried was work, but this time Reki had holed himself up in the back room working on a customized deck for an S customer. Reki was just behind a door, but Manager Oka didn’t let Langa even get close to opening it. His shift came and went, and soon enough he was pushed out by Oka without even getting to see a glimpse of Reki._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________How was he supposed to explain himself if he couldn’t even see him?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He pulled up to Reki’s window like normal to go to S, only to pause when he saw that it was closed and the lights were off. Reki was clearly ignoring him, but he wanted nothing more to explain everything and go back to the way they were. He wanted to feel his heart flip with happiness whenever the redhead smiled at him. He hated this feeling of the cold closing in on him on all sides._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Reki hadn’t shown up to S that night, but he did show up to school the next day. His eyes were puffy, and he looked like he had been up for the last few days. Langa was finally able to corner him at lunch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Reki it’s not what it looks like!” Langa desperately tried to explain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“It’s okay Langa. I get it. It would be too awkward to take it back at the time right? Besides, you lost a beef and it was your penalty. It’s not your fault I took you seriously,” Reki insisted as he gave a small smile to Langa._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“No! No I did want to ask you out I was just too scared to! Reki, I love you so much and gah- Miya just pushed me to take a step forward and finally ask you out. I’m glad we’re dating, and I’m glad that I asked you out then even if it was for a dare. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me.” He had a desperate expression on his face as he tried to convince Reki that he loved him. He _loved _him so much it hurt. He couldn’t lose him, not because of this.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I wanted to tell you at first. I did! You were just so happy and I figured that there was no reason to tell you because our relationship was going so well and well, I just didn’t want to hurt you,” he finished lamely as he looked down at the ground and rolled his board back and forth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Reki’s smile tightened as he looked down at his own board then shrugged in a helpless sort of way. “It’s okay Langa. I get it. I do. Let’s just forget it ever happened,” he proposed before sliding past Langa and back inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Forget it happened?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________How could he forget it all? Reki’s touches, his smiles, his laugh. Everything about Reki had been ingrained into his memory. He couldn’t just forget it. It was like losing his dad all over again, except this time Reki was so close to him. He was so close, yet it felt like there was a canyon separating them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________When he sat down in his seat again he looked over at Reki then sighed quietly. “I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly. For possibly the first time he watched Reki’s smile crumble right in front of his eyes then quickly rebuild itself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“It’s okay.”  
* * *  
“This is the fifth time Reki hasn’t shown up. Have you still not made up?” Cherry asked as he walked up to Langa, Joe at his side. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“He’s still ignoring me. I tried to tell him my feelings, but he thought that I was just humoring him to make him feel better. He doesn’t understand that I love him more than anything else,” Langa explained as he gripped his board in his hands. Why wouldn’t Reki hear him out?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________The only time Langa had seen Reki was at school, and while he understood why he was keeping his distance, Langa couldn’t help but wish that he could explain himself better._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well, then why are you here? Why aren’t you trying to talk to him?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________That was a good point. What was he even doing there? Ever since they had broken up he could barely bring himself to skate to school. It felt wrong to skate without Reki there by his side, holding hands, laughing in a way that lit up the room. He missed it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’m going to go find Reki!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Cherry nodded, promising that he’d tell him the results of the races that night when he next saw him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Langa climbed onto his bike then drove to Reki’s house, hoping that he’d find him there. It was still fairly early at night, so there was no way Reki was asleep. He’d just have to persuade him to talk with him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________When he arrived at Reki’s house he felt his heart sink. The window was closed, and all the lights were turned off. Well, there went his plan to fix things again. Would Reki even forgive him at this rate? With a sigh, he drove off, not really certain of where his destination would be until he found himself at the skate park where Reki had taught him how to skateboard in the first place._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He took his helmet off then sighed and parked his bike, only to pause at the sight of a familiar mop of red hair at the top of the ramp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Reki!” His mouth opened before he even realised it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Reki looked down at Langa with a surprised expression then grabbed his board and made to drop down. “No! Wait...please. I want to talk.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Before Reki could protest Langa was already making his way up the ramp to settle next to him.”Reki please believe me when I say that I didn’t want to hurt you. I love you so much. I know I should’ve told you sooner, but just because it started out like that it doesn’t mean that I didn’t love you and don’t love you now. Please, please believe me Reki,” he begged. He was just itching to take Reki’s hands in his, tuck him against his chest like he used to do. This Reki didn’t look the same. He was pale, _tired _. Langa had done that to him.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Langa I already told you. It’s fine. I shouldn’t have taken it seriously.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“It’s not fine!” Reki stared at Langa with wide eyes. He had never heard him raise his voice before. “It’s not fine,” he continued in a much quieter voice. “I hurt you, and that was something I never, ever wanted to do. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me. You gave me something to love, and someone _to _love. I hadn’t meant to hurt you at all. Miya...Miya had dared me, but _I _chose to be in the relationship. _I _chose to be with you because I _love _you so much. Reki, please...please believe me when I say that you are the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________Reki stared at him in disbelief before a small smile crossed his face. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, Langa. Maybe that’s why it hurts so much. You were just going through with a dare, and I made it harder for you. Sorry,” he apologized quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________This soft, quiet Reki was so different from his normal. Reki was a bright, blazing sun. It hurt to see him so faded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“You shouldn’t apologize for my mistake. Dating you wasn’t a mistake. I don’t regret it at all. I’m glad I got to date you and call you mine, Reki. I made a mistake, and I’ll regret it for as long as I live. So, please forgive me. Even if you just want to remain friends I’m fine with that, but if there’s even a slim chance that you’ll let me romance you, then please let me take it,” Langa pleaded as he looked over at Reki with a small smile on his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________He wanted nothing more than to be able to share this lovely night with Reki. The stars were shining, and there was a nice breeze blowing through the park. If they were still together they could’ve made it a date._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Miya texted me. He explained everything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________Huh? Miya had texted Reki?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Oh?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Yeah, I had time to think about it, and I realized that even though this started because of a dare you really did like me at least toward the end. Maybe it’s because you seem so untouchable, but for a while I couldn’t figure out why you kept going through with it. So...if you really mean it, and you want to try again, then I’d be willing to give this a shot,” Reki said with a small smile, just a little bit more fire than before in his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________Langa felt like his heart was doing flips in his chest as he stared at Reki in disbelief. “R-Really?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________When he saw Reki nod it was almost as if a weight was lifted off his shoulder as he quickly pulled the redhead into his arms and gave him the most passionate kiss he had given in his entire life. When they pulled apart they made eye contact for a second then burst into laughter and remained as they were in each other’s arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Hey Langa? The stars sure are pretty tonight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Mm.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________“Do you think it’ll be sunny tomorrow?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
